Readers Write in About Security, US Customs Regulations, ‘Just Looking’ Customers and More

• The April lead story on safety sparked us to reinforce safety and selling security. — Christine M., Boyertown, PA
• The “Safety First” story helped us to talk with staff about security and leaving things sitting out. — Karen H., Batavia, IL
• I believe we need to kill people with customer service. We should always have two salespeople with customers. This way the customers are never alone and two sets of eyes are a great deterrent for thieves. Team selling vs. thieves! — Naomi V. Haines City, FL
• Local jewelry community has lost touch with keeping an eye out for each other. We need to have a better relationship with our local competitors and warn each other about suspicious activity. — Greg T., Murfreesboro, TN
• In response to Shane Decker’s column, “Recover from ‘I’m just looking,’” Shane has truly helped jewelers! But his “I’m just looking” responses of “Let’s get started,” “Do you actually know what you’re looking for,” or “I’m just selling” feel out of date. We find giving a friendly “lay of the land” or non-jewelry opener, and then a reapproach after a bit of time, builds trust. — Debbie F., Ventura, CA
• As a Canadian that imports a lot of product from the U.S., the new regulations by U.S. customs on returns makes life almost impossible. The newest is where U.S. customs asks us to have a certificate of origin for diamonds that comes from our local chamber of commerce. I asked the chamber and they said, “We have been getting asked for this sort of thing a lot recently and don’t know what to do but cannot offer what is being requested.” Great spot to be in if we need to return anything. The other documentation is equally as burdensome. Is there anyone that actually even looks at the documents? Maybe someone that graduated from high school? — David B., Calgary, AB
• I found the May featured story on recycling gold resonates with Linnea’s directives and philosophy. Indeed, emphasizing the importance of creating win-win situations in every transaction is vital for maintaining the integrity and value of our industry as a whole. As a manufacturing goldsmith, we’ve embraced the use of old gold to become the go-to designer in our area. A repeated Linnea team quote, “The more you have, the less you have to pay,” encapsulates the essence of sustainability and resourcefulness in our industry beautifully. Truly appreciated the delightful article on the leaders in our jewelry industry who have gone above and beyond. Each of these shining stars truly deserves recognition for their outstanding contributions. I was sad about the oversight of not including Scott Isaacs, a pioneer in creating the laser-welding community. This article underscores the importance of acknowledging all individuals who have made significant impacts on our beloved industry. Thank you for highlighting the empowering nature of our industry, where professionals have the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the collective knowledge and success of others. Here’s to celebrating the incredible individuals who make our industry thrive! — Denise O., La Grange, IL

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